


Moment Ten

by AlphaMercy



Series: Snippets [10]
Category: Borderlands
Genre: M/M, Yeah this is pretty dark be warned, also sort of a stream of concscious, implied starting stages of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 18:22:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7065088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaMercy/pseuds/AlphaMercy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the way you said "I love you"</p><p>22. muffled, through a door</p><p>Everything is good between Jack and Rhys, until it's not</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moment Ten

**Author's Note:**

> there are implied signs of abuse, and the starting stages of the more physical stuff, nothing too bad, but please be warned

Rhys isn’t sure when it turns from _want_ to _like_ to _love_ but it does and he is scared. He is scared that Jack sees him as nothing but a pair of legs and a good fuck, as just another pretty person he has trapped and buried in his bed. Rhys is a thousand things, but none of them compare to what he is when he’s with Jack.

They are broken and bent, strong and tired, living as if they are each other’s beginning and end and there is _nothing_ but the stuff of stars between them. They flicker and dim, and then they are burning brighter than before, a cycle old and new, each spin a unique take. He is the best he has even been, and he is also the worst. He has every regard for his life, but none for _others’_.

Rhys is stuck in this endless loop of _want_ and _give_ and _take_ and he is not sure how it will end; he is never sure about many things nowadays. But he moves on, as life is want to do, and he survives, well, he _thrives_ really, because Rhys is nothing if not an opportunist. He is always looking for a step up, to become bigger and bigger.

Jack says that Rhys is _“somethin’ special”_. Rhys wonders if it is just a line, to keep him hooked and compliant. Rhys does not care too much, and he does everything possible to push _love_ out of his mind. Because Handsome is not the type to _“love”_ and he is _definitely_ not the type to give it out if he did. Rhys is okay with that, even if at night, when Jack is busy with work, or fast asleep next to him, he stares out at the cracked face of Elpis and sighs softly, thinking quietly to himself.

_“If only if only the woodpecker chimed. And if I so say there is nothing to find…”_

So Rhys is stuck, _loving_ and _wanting_ and _seeing_ but not really **living**. He thinks Jack does not notice, because Jack is always so busy, but Jack _does_.

* * *

Jack is the type of man who is awkward with emotions, so the only three settings he ever lets himself feel are _anger_ and _moderate elation_ and _mild irritation_. He never claims to be an emotional man, but deep somewhere he cares and _goddamnit_ doesn’t that count?

But he knows it doesn’t and he wonders what keeps Rhys up at night, sighing as he stares out the window of their bedroom. Sometimes, when he thinks Jack is fast asleep, he hums a little song to himself. It sounds sad and forlorn, and for reasons unknown, Jack’s heart _aches_ for him. (The reason it less “unknown” and more “unaccepted”)

So the two continue on day after frightful day, dancing a dance known for ages and living a tale as old as time. It is their little slice of what they think is _“heaven”_ and they are okay with it.

Until one day everything breaks, shattering into thousands of finely-crafted Eden-6 glass pieces, covering the floor and Rhys as well. He stares at Jack, _terror_ and _rage_ waging a vicious war inside of his body. He wants to scream and throw things back at Jack, wants to cuss and throw a tantrum, but he also wants to flee, to hide from the monster in front of him. 

It is the same shape as his lover, the same masked face and mismatched eyes. The same brown-streaked-grey hair that is usually oh-so-perfectly coiffed into it’s usually spikiness. And so Rhys runs. He can not go far, with the monster between he and the door, so he escapes to the large bathroom, locking himself inside as fear and anger pound their awful tempos through his body, giving him a headache and making him flinch at the pounding of feet as they beat their way after him.

There is a _thud_ on the door and Rhys yelps, bolting further in. The monster wearing Jack’s face tells him to come out, that he is _so so so_ sorry, that they can talk about it. And Rhys so _desperately_  wants to believe him; but he doesn’t, he keeps quiet, huddled against the wall in between the toilet and sink. He is terrified and unsure, he wants to go but he _can’t,_ so he _waits_. He waits, even as his back begins to ache and his body starts to go numb. As his heart starts to calm, his breaths becoming deeper.

There is noise on the other side, a rustling of clothes against the door, and then quiet for a few seconds. Then, he begins to talk. He tells Rhys about his thoughts, about how he makes Jack’s day so much better, curled up on their bed reading, or down on his knees. He talks of all the times he just wanted to hug Rhys, hug him and never let go, to leave the company and start over somewhere quiet. He admits that he has never felt like that before, and it scares him. He talks of how there are a lot of things that scare him in their relationship, but it is worth it. He speaks of how he has never felt about anyone like this, not romantically at least.

He speaks and speaks, voice growing hoarse as all Rhys does is listen, still tightly wedged between the toilet and sink. Rhys is cold and aching, and still he does not move. He wants to go and see this man that has been hiding away, but Ma always said the worst kind of monster is the one who’s the nicest to you. He wonders if this would count. _Probably,_ he thinks tiredly.

Jack is still speaking. And that’s when Rhys hears it. It is quiet and stuttering, spoke muffled through a bathroom door. He wants to laugh and cry and rage but he does _nothing._

**“I love you.”**

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](http://handsomejackisback.tumblr.com)


End file.
